DILLARD, Ga. — Fall colors, a historic hotel with a new look, championship-winning food and s’mores.
Fall Happens Here ... in Dillard, Georgia.
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Head north on I-985, about an hour and 45 minutes from Atlanta, to discover Dillard, a breathtaking escape in the North Georgia mountains.
Need a reason? Here are 10 things to do around Dillard this fall.
No. 1: The Fall Colors
Mother Nature’s coat of many colors blankets the trees, mountaintops, and landscape as far as the eye can see in and around Dillard.
Behold the beautiful sight, filled with yellow, orange, purple, and red leaves.
“Especially up in Rabun County, you’ll see amazing leaf foliage,” said Casey Quarterman of the National Forest Service. “This is one of the most biodiverse areas in the country when it comes to trees.”
“It’s a great place to come and just see the fall come alive,” Quarterman added.
No. 2: Meal at the Dillard House Restaurant
Need another reason to drive to Dillard and celebrate fall? Enjoy a meal at the recently renovated Dillard House restaurant.
From beloved Southern classics to exciting new culinary arrivals, dining at the Dillard House celebrates flavor, tradition and local craft.
To answer the most important question: Yes, fried chicken is on the menu. It’s always on the menu at the Dillard House, but so are some other tasty treats.
“We’re looking at using more things like corn squash, more sweet potatoes, more things that are in season,” Dillard House chef Darrell Goodman told WSB-TV’s Nelson Hicks. “You know, I think we’ll try to get a little more creative with our desserts, some different pies and things.”
No. 3: Blue Hound BBQ
Head to Blue Hound BBQ. Pitmaster Kyle Bryner produces some of America’s best barbecue. He recently won Food Network’s BBQ Brawl. One taste of the chicken-fried ribs or any of the other dishes on the menu, and you’ll quickly discover why.
“Beef cheeks are something that’s very popular in Texas right now, but you don’t really see a lot in our area,” Bryner said. “So I think that’s special to us in our region: (slicing) beef cheeks, which, if you’ve never had them, they’re delicious. And then just a nod to our region. We have, instead of baked beans on our menu, we’ve got Appalachian soup beans. On our pickle bar, we’ve got chow-chows. Collard greens, we’re really known for here. And yeah, we just try to give subtle nods to our region every chance we get.”
No. 4 Tallulah Gorge Hike
Time to work off some of that food and experience one of the most spectacular canyons in the eastern United States. Head north to Dillard this fall and hike down Tallulah Gorge.
“What most of our visitors do is the suspension bridge loop, also known as the Hurricane Falls loop,” Tallulah Gorge State Park’s Lieren Merz said. “That takes you down 310 stairs, across the suspension bridge, which is 80 feet above the floor of the gorge at that point. But you are in between waterfalls. Then you’ll go down another 221 stairs to the viewing platform at the very bottom of Hurricane Falls. From there, you get the view of Hurricane Falls, which is our biggest waterfall. After that, the only thing to do is go back up.”
No. 5: Horseback Ride at the Dillard House Stables
Next up, gather the family and enjoy a horseback ride through North Georgia.
“The one thing that I think sets us apart from a lot of other stable operators is we have the ability to go across our farm,” Pam Thompson from the Dillard House Stables said. “There are 80 acres down in the bottom, and we go right into the Little Tennessee River and splash right up the middle of the river. And that’s something not just everybody can offer.”
No. 6: Merry Christmas Shop
It’s a 30-year Dillard institution. Christmas lives here 365 days a year, but as the calendar winds toward Dec. 25, a visit evokes memories of Christmas seasons gone by.
No. 7: Stay at the Dillard House
The mountain farm resort has fed and entertained travelers for more than a century. Today, you’ll experience Southern Appalachian hospitality just as it always was, only better, in recently renovated facilities.
“It’s so exciting to see that this truly is a world-class resort, a mountain farm resort that is uniquely Georgian,” David Marvin from the Dillard House said. “And it is an opportunity for people to celebrate history, for people to have memorable times.”
No. 8: Enjoy wine, cocktails
Make memorable moments over a glass of wine. From the brand-new bar adjacent to the Dillard House restaurant to the recently opened Doghobble at Dillard Wine Tasting Room, enjoy a refreshing glass of wine or a cocktail while taking in those mountain views.
“There’s a cocktail that we have called the apple spritz, and it actually uses Doghobble Wineries’ sparkling Chardonnay and local apple cider,” Charlton Chamblis from the Dillard House said. “It’s a very refreshing drink that the guests are really enjoying.”
No. 9 Enjoy an activity
What else is there to do in and around Dillard this fall? From art tours and hikes to concerts, movies and more, head to dillardgeorgia.com/events and pick an event that interests you. A lot is going on!
No. 10 S’mores by the firepit
The final reason for a fall trip to Dillard in the North Georgia mountains is to spend some time by the firepit to enjoy a s’more, maybe some music and time with each other.
Fall happens here, in Dillard, Georgia. Enjoy the trip.
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The story is sponsored by the city of Dillard.